diff --git a/drivers/ide/ide-io.c b/drivers/ide/ide-io.c
index 28057747c1f8..2b33c129740b 100644
--- a/drivers/ide/ide-io.c
+++ b/drivers/ide/ide-io.c
@@ -766,6 +766,18 @@ static ide_startstop_t execute_drive_cmd (ide_drive_t *drive,
  	return ide_stopped;
 }
 
+static ide_startstop_t ide_special_rq(ide_drive_t *drive, struct request *rq)
+{
+	switch (rq->cmd[0]) {
+	case REQ_DRIVE_RESET:
+		return ide_do_reset(drive);
+	default:
+		blk_dump_rq_flags(rq, "ide_special_rq - bad request");
+		ide_end_request(drive, 0, 0);
+		return ide_stopped;
+	}
+}
+
 static void ide_check_pm_state(ide_drive_t *drive, struct request *rq)
 {
 	struct request_pm_state *pm = rq->data;
@@ -869,7 +881,16 @@ static ide_startstop_t start_request (ide_drive_t *drive, struct request *rq)
 			    pm->pm_step == ide_pm_state_completed)
 				ide_complete_pm_request(drive, rq);
 			return startstop;
-		}
+		} else if (!rq->rq_disk && blk_special_request(rq))
+			/*
+			 * TODO: Once all ULDs have been modified to
+			 * check for specific op codes rather than
+			 * blindly accepting any special request, the
+			 * check for ->rq_disk above may be replaced
+			 * by a more suitable mechanism or even
+			 * dropped entirely.
+			 */
+			return ide_special_rq(drive, rq);
 
 		drv = *(ide_driver_t **)rq->rq_disk->private_data;
 		return drv->do_request(drive, rq, block);
diff --git a/drivers/ide/ide-iops.c b/drivers/ide/ide-iops.c
index 80ad4f234f3f..96f63eb12092 100644
--- a/drivers/ide/ide-iops.c
+++ b/drivers/ide/ide-iops.c
@@ -905,6 +905,14 @@ void ide_execute_pkt_cmd(ide_drive_t *drive)
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(ide_execute_pkt_cmd);
 
+static inline void ide_complete_drive_reset(ide_drive_t *drive)
+{
+	struct request *rq = drive->hwif->hwgroup->rq;
+
+	if (rq && blk_special_request(rq) && rq->cmd[0] == REQ_DRIVE_RESET)
+		ide_end_request(drive, 1, 0);
+}
+
 /* needed below */
 static ide_startstop_t do_reset1 (ide_drive_t *, int);
 
@@ -940,7 +948,7 @@ static ide_startstop_t atapi_reset_pollfunc (ide_drive_t *drive)
 	}
 	/* done polling */
 	hwgroup->polling = 0;
-	hwgroup->resetting = 0;
+	ide_complete_drive_reset(drive);
 	return ide_stopped;
 }
 
@@ -961,7 +969,7 @@ static ide_startstop_t reset_pollfunc (ide_drive_t *drive)
 		if (port_ops->reset_poll(drive)) {
 			printk(KERN_ERR "%s: host reset_poll failure for %s.\n",
 				hwif->name, drive->name);
-			return ide_stopped;
+			goto out;
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -1004,7 +1012,8 @@ static ide_startstop_t reset_pollfunc (ide_drive_t *drive)
 		}
 	}
 	hwgroup->polling = 0;	/* done polling */
-	hwgroup->resetting = 0; /* done reset attempt */
+out:
+	ide_complete_drive_reset(drive);
 	return ide_stopped;
 }
 
@@ -1090,7 +1099,6 @@ static ide_startstop_t do_reset1 (ide_drive_t *drive, int do_not_try_atapi)
 
 	/* For an ATAPI device, first try an ATAPI SRST. */
 	if (drive->media != ide_disk && !do_not_try_atapi) {
-		hwgroup->resetting = 1;
 		pre_reset(drive);
 		SELECT_DRIVE(drive);
 		udelay (20);
@@ -1112,10 +1120,10 @@ static ide_startstop_t do_reset1 (ide_drive_t *drive, int do_not_try_atapi)
 
 	if (io_ports->ctl_addr == 0) {
 		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&ide_lock, flags);
+		ide_complete_drive_reset(drive);
 		return ide_stopped;
 	}
 
-	hwgroup->resetting = 1;
 	/*
 	 * Note that we also set nIEN while resetting the device,
 	 * to mask unwanted interrupts from the interface during the reset.
diff --git a/drivers/ide/ide.c b/drivers/ide/ide.c
index 90ae00d4aaf5..1ec983b00511 100644
--- a/drivers/ide/ide.c
+++ b/drivers/ide/ide.c
@@ -529,6 +529,19 @@ static int generic_ide_resume(struct device *dev)
 	return err;
 }
 
+static void generic_drive_reset(ide_drive_t *drive)
+{
+	struct request *rq;
+
+	rq = blk_get_request(drive->queue, READ, __GFP_WAIT);
+	rq->cmd_type = REQ_TYPE_SPECIAL;
+	rq->cmd_len = 1;
+	rq->cmd[0] = REQ_DRIVE_RESET;
+	rq->cmd_flags |= REQ_SOFTBARRIER;
+	blk_execute_rq(drive->queue, NULL, rq, 1);
+	blk_put_request(rq);
+}
+
 int generic_ide_ioctl(ide_drive_t *drive, struct file *file, struct block_device *bdev,
 			unsigned int cmd, unsigned long arg)
 {
@@ -603,33 +616,9 @@ int generic_ide_ioctl(ide_drive_t *drive, struct file *file, struct block_device
 			if (!capable(CAP_SYS_ADMIN))
 				return -EACCES;
 
-			/*
-			 *	Abort the current command on the
-			 *	group if there is one, taking
-			 *	care not to allow anything else
-			 *	to be queued and to die on the
-			 *	spot if we miss one somehow
-			 */
-
-			spin_lock_irqsave(&ide_lock, flags);
-
-			if (HWGROUP(drive)->resetting) {
-				spin_unlock_irqrestore(&ide_lock, flags);
-				return -EBUSY;
-			}
-
-			ide_abort(drive, "drive reset");
-
-			BUG_ON(HWGROUP(drive)->handler);
-
-			/* Ensure nothing gets queued after we
-			   drop the lock. Reset will clear the busy */
-
-			HWGROUP(drive)->busy = 1;
-			spin_unlock_irqrestore(&ide_lock, flags);
-			(void) ide_do_reset(drive);
-
+			generic_drive_reset(drive);
 			return 0;
+
 		case HDIO_GET_BUSSTATE:
 			if (!capable(CAP_SYS_ADMIN))
 				return -EACCES;
diff --git a/include/linux/ide.h b/include/linux/ide.h
index f9cbe9350cad..021710cc1b1c 100644
--- a/include/linux/ide.h
+++ b/include/linux/ide.h
@@ -138,6 +138,12 @@ struct ide_io_ports {
 #define WAIT_CMD	(10*HZ)	/* 10sec  - maximum wait for an IRQ to happen */
 #define WAIT_MIN_SLEEP	(2*HZ/100)	/* 20msec - minimum sleep time */
 
+/*
+ * Op codes for special requests to be handled by ide_special_rq().
+ * Values should be in the range of 0x20 to 0x3f.
+ */
+#define REQ_DRIVE_RESET		0x20
+
 /*
  * Check for an interrupt and acknowledge the interrupt status
  */